Container liner



Nov. 23, 1965 J. F. l. HOUSZ ETAL CONTAINER LINER Filed NOV. l2, 1963United States Patent 3,219,230 CNTAINER LINER .Ian Floris Engen Housz,Heemstede, and Hans Febres, Amstelveen, Netherlands, assigner-s toInland Steel Company, Chicago, 111 a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov.12, 1963, Ser. No. 322,86* Claims priority, application Great Britain,Nov. 15, 1962, tazas/62 7 Ciaims. (Ci. 22d-63) The present inventionrelates generally to containers and, more particularly, to -an improved.shipping container, and method of manufacture thereof, of the type usedin packaging, storing and transporting fluid, powdered or particulatecommodities. In its principal aspects, the invention is concerned with ashipping container Aof the type 'having a rigid outershell or overpackand `a nonetallic inner shell or liner, the liner having one or moreinlet or outlet necks projecting outwardly through the outer shell.

It is a general aim of the present invention to provide effective, yetsimple, securement ymeans for fixing the nonmetallic liner of a linedcontainer relative to the outer container shell.

A related object of the invention is the provision of an improvedcontainer construction of the type employing a non-metallic `linerhaving an outwardly projecting, internally threaded neck andcharacterized in that displacement of the liner and its neck relative tothe outer container shell is effectively precluded, yet wherein noseparate fasteners or other securing components are required. In thisconnection, it is an object lof the invention to provide a linedshipping container having relatively few component pieces andcharacterized in that the non-metallic liner and the outer shell areshaped so that they are retained in iixed positions relative to oneanother by the resiliency of one or both of the component parts.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an economical linedcontainer construction which is reliable in use and which permits ofease in assembly.

An ancillary object of the invention is the provision of an improvedcontainer construction which facilitates sealing the container and itscontents in a tamperproof and pilferproof manner.

In another of its important aspects, it is an object of the invention toprovide an improved method of assembling a liner shipping container.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent as the following description proceeds, taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE l is a top plan view of a container embodying the features of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the container shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken substantiallyalong the line 3-3 of FIG. l and illustrating details of the improvedcontainer closure prior to bending of the skirt of a seal cap toeffectively close the container in a tamperproof and pilferproof manner;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section similar to FIG. 3 after aflixing the sealcap to the container; and,

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section similar to FIG 3 but with theseal cap removed, here depicting a slightly modified containerconstruction also embodying the features of the present invention.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications andalternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by wayof example in the `drawing and will herein be described in detail. Itshould be understood, however, that it is not intended to limit theinvention to the particular forms disclosed, but, on the contrary, theintention is to cover all modifications,

3,219,236 Patented Nov. 23, 1965 ICC equivalents and alternativesfalling within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in theappended claims.

Referring n-ow to the drawing, there is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, anexemplary shipping container, generally indicated at 1d, embodying thefeatures of the present invention. As here shown, the exemplarycontainer includes a generally cylindrical outer wall or shell 11 whichis effectively closed at its uper end by means of an end wall or lid 12.To effect such a closure, the free extremities of the wall 12 and shell11 are, in a conventional manner well known to those skilled in the art,curled together to form an upper chime 14. The opposite end of thecontainer 1t) (i.e., the lower end as viewed in FIG. 2) is also closedby means of an end wall (not shown) which may be secured t0 the shell 11in a similar manner to form a lower chime 15.

To facilitate lling the container 10 and subsequent dispensing of thecontainer contents, the container includes at least one bunghole andclosure arrangement, generally indicated at 16, which may convenientlybe l0- cated in one wall of the container-here the end wall 12. Thecontainer body is lined internally with a non-metallic inner shell orliner, a portion of which is best illustrated at 18 in FIGS 3 and 4. Theinner shell 18 includes an integral neck 19 which projects outwardlythrough an opening 2() formed in the end wall 12. An annular collar 21is coaxial with and surrounds the opening 20, with the neck 19 of theinner shell or liner 18 being dimensioned to extend axially beyond theextremity of the collar. Of course, it will be understood that thecollar 21 may be either integral with and bent out of the plane of theend wall 12 or, alternatively, it may be constituted Iby a separater-igid annulus secured `to the end wall 12 in any suitable manner (notshown). Preferably, at least one of the container end walls (i.e., theupper wall 12 or the lower wall) is detachably secured to the outercylindrical shell 11, thus permitting removal of the inner shell 1S fromthe outer shell 11 for the purpose of inspection or cleaning of eithershell.

As the ensuing description proceeds, those skilled in the art willappreciate that while the present invention is not directed toparticular materials for the manufacture of shipping containers, it is,nonetheless, advantageously applicable to containers wherein the outershell 11 is made of a generally rigid material such, for example, assheet metal, liber, plywood or other natural or synthetic materials,while the inner shell 18 is preferably formed of a plastic orthermoplastic material such as polyethylene.

In accordance with one of the important aspects of the presentinvention, the inner and outer shells are formed so as to facilitatetheir assembly into a substantially unitary lined container constructionwherein relative shifting of the respective shells, particularlyrelative axial shifting thereof, is effectively precluded. In theillustrative form of the invention, this is accomplished by forming thecollar 21 with an outwardly flaring extremity 22. The neck 19 of theinner shell 1S has a peripherally disposed ridge 24 formed adjacent itsfree end yand positioned so as to overlie, and snugly conform to, theoutwardly flared collar extremity 22. The arrangement is such that theneck 19, and hence the inner shell 18, is supported by the collar 21 andits flared extremity 22, thus preventing the neck and inner shell fromslipping, or from being inadvertently pushed, inwardly into the interiorof the outer shell 11.

The foregoing construction not only provides an axially secureconnection between the inner and outer shells, but, in addition, itsimplifies the method of assembling the shells during the initialmanufacture of the container and subsequent to inspection and cleaningoperations When the two shells have been disassembled. Thus, it issimply necessary to push the neck 19 axially through the opening 20 andthe collar 21 until the peripherally disposed ridge 24 on the formersnaps over the flared collar extremity 22. Alternatively, the wall 12and collar 21 may be pushed downwardly over the neck 19 until the ridge24 snaps into place, securely locking the two components together. Whileboth the collar 21 and the neck 19 are rigid in the sense that they areshelf-supporting, it will be understood that either one or bothcomponents are sufciently resilient to permit passage of the latterthrough the former.

It has also been discovered that the foregoing method of assembly can bestill further facilitated in accordance with another feature of theinvention. To this end, the innermost end of the annular collar 21 isalso flared outwardly as indicated at 25 in FIGS. 3 and 4. Thearrangement is such that the collar 21 and flared portion 25 whichdefine the opening 2t) in the end wall 12 form an inverted, generallyfunnel-shaped mouth for receiving the neck 19 of the inner shell 18.Thus, the funnelshaped mouth serves to center Iand guide the neck 19 asthe latter is pushed through the collar 21. Moreover, the flared mouthminimizes the danger of cutting or otherwise damaging the flaredextremity 24 of the non-metallic neck 19.

In carry out the present invention, provision is made for sealing thecontainer 10 in a tamperproof `and pilferproof manner. To this end, aseal cap 26 having a skirt portion 28 is .positioned on top of the neck19 with the lower edge 29 of the skirt extending below the lowerflange-like radial surface 3f) of the flared collar extremity 22. As aconsequence of this construction, the lower edge 29 of the skirt 28 maybe turned, wheeled, crimped, or otherwise bent inwardly under theannular downwardly facing surface 30 of the collar (as shown in FIG. 4),thus forming a tamperproof, pilferproof closure-that is, a closure whichmust be damaged, broken or destroyed upon opening of the container.

In order to provide a fluid tight esal for the container, a gasket 31(FIG. 3) may be interposed between the seal cap and the flared extremity24 of the neck 19. It will be appreciated that the gasket may be eithera separate member or, alternatively, it may be cast, molded or otherwiseformed in situ (for example, within the seal cap 26). Thus, when theseal cap is applied by bending the skirt 28 inwardly beneath the flangesurface 30, the gasket will be substantially uniformly deformed betweenthe cap 26 and the flared neck extremity 24.

As a further precaution against leakage of the contents of the container10, a closure plug 32 may be inserted into the neck 19 either prior toapplication of, or in lieu of, the seal cap 26. In this instance, apacking or sealing ring 34 formed of resiliently deformable materialsuch, merely by Way of example, as rubber, is interposed between theplug 32 and the neck 19. As here shown, the exemplary plug 32 isexternally threaded as indicated at 35 for cooperation with internalthreads 36 formed in the neck 19. Of course, other types of plugs can beutilized if desired other than threaded plugs. In the event that a sealcap is not employed, the resulting closure may still take the form of atamperproof and pilferproof closure simply by employing a different typeof conventional seal which is Well known to those skilled in the art andwhich must be broken, damaged or destroyed before the plug can beremovedfor example, a sealing wire passed through aligned opening (notshown) in the plug and the collar.

A slightly modified container construction, also embodying the featuresof the presen-t invention, has been shown in FIG. 5. In thisconstruction, the flared extremity of either the neck 19 or collar 21,or both, may be shaped to define a seat for reception of a sealinggasket 38 made of a resiliently deformable materialthe gasket 38 herebeing interposed between the flared collar extremity 22 and the ridge24. This construction is particularly advantageous when the container isused to store and transport aggressive fluids that might tend to attackthe outer shell 11 since it provides a fluid-tight seal which inhibitsseepage of the container contents into the space between the inner andouter shells.

We claim as our invention:

1. A shipping container comprising, in combination, a rigid hollow outershell, an end wall secured to one extremity of said shell and having anopening formed therein, an annular collar formed on said wall andsurrounding said opening, a non-metallic inner shell positioned withinsaid outer shell, said inner shell having a neck extending outwardlythrough said opening and said collar and projecting axially beyond 4saidcollar, said inner shell and neck being formed of the same material anddefining a unitary one-piece liner for said outer shell and said collar,the free extremity of said collar being flared radially outwards, andsaid neck having an outwardly extending peripheral ridge overlying onlythe upwardly facing surface of said flared collar extremity so that saidcollar supports said neck and relative axial movement therebetween isinhibited, at least one of said collar and said neck being formed ofresilient material so that upon insertion of said inner shell into saidouter shell, said shells are resiliently and separably secured to oneanother.

2. A shipping container comprising, in combination, a rigid hollow outershell, an end wall secured to said shell and having an opening formedtherein, an annular collar formed on said wall coaxial with saidopening, a non-metallic inner shell positioned within said outer shell,said inner shell having a selfsupporting integral neck extendingoutwardly through said opening and said collar, said inner shell andneck being formed of the same material and defining a unitary one-pieceliner for said outer shell and said collar, said collar and said neckhaving complementary cross-sectional shapes. which are progressivelylarger toward the free extremities thereof so that said neck is axiallyfixed relative to said collar and is lsupported thereby.

3. A shipping container comprising, in combination, a rigid hollow outershell, an end wall secured to one extremity of said shell and having anopening formed therein, a collar formed on said wall surrounding saidopening, a non-metallic inner shell positioned within said outer shell,said inner shell having a neck extending outwardly through said openingand said collar and projecting axially beyond said collar, said innershell and neck being formed of the same material and defining a unitaryonepiece liner for saidouter shell and said collar, the free extremityof said collar being flared radially outwards, means formed on said neckprojecting outwardly therefrom and at least partially overlying only theupwardly facing surface of said flared collar extremity so that saidcollar supports said neck and relative axial movement therebetween isinhibited, and means formed on said collar defining a downwardly facingflange-like surface.

4. A shipping container as set forth in claim 3 further characterized inthat a seal cap is afllxed to the top of said neck, said seal cap havingan annular depending skirt, said skirt being bent inwardly beneath saiddownwardly facing flange-like surface.

5. A shipping container as set forth in claim 4 further characterized inthat a sealing gasket is interposed between Isaid seal cap and saidneck.

6. A shipping container as set forth in claim 1 further characterized inthat a sealing gasket is interposed between said ridge and the flaredextremity of said collar.

7. The method of forming a lined shipping container comprising the stepsof forming an opening in a container end wall, forming a collar on saidend wall surrounding said opening and projecting outwardly therefrom,bending the outer extremity of said collar outward- 1y to form a flaringfree edge thereon, bending the inner extremity of said collar outwardlyto form an inverted funnel-shaped mouth, forming a necked non-metallicliner, creating a peripheral ridge on the neck of the liner having anexternal dimension greater than the internal dimension of the collar,and projecting the neck through the mouth and the collar until saidridge snaps over the flaring free edge on the collar.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS THERON E. CONDON,Primary Examiner.

1. A SHIPPING CONTAINER COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A RIGID HOLLOW OUTERSHELL, AND END WALL SECURED TO ONE EXTERMITY OF SAID SHELL AND HAVING ANOPENING FORMED THEREIN, AN ANNULAR COLLAR FORMED ON SAID WALL ANDSURROUNDING SAID OPENING, A NON-METALLIC INNER SHELL POSITIONED WITHINSAID OUTER SHELL, SAID INNER SHELL HAVING A NECK EXTENDING OUTWARDLYTHROUGH SAID OPENING AND SAID COLLAR AND PROJECTING AXIALLY BEYOND SAIDCOLLAR, SAID INNER SHELL AND NECK BEING FORMED OF THE SAME MATERIAL ANDDEFINING A UNITARY ONE-PIECE LINER FOR SAID OUTER SHELL AND SAID COLLAR,THE FREE EXTERMITY OF SAID COLLAR BEING FLARED RADIALLY OUTWARDS, ANDSAID NECK HAVING AN OUTWARDLY EXTENDING PERIPHERAL RIDGE OVERLYING ONLYTHE UPWARDLY FACING SURFACE OF SAID FLARED COLLAR EXTREMITY SO THAT SAIDCOLLAR SUPPORTS SAID NECK AND RELATIVE AXIAL MOVEMENT THEREBETWEEN ISINHIBITED, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID COLLAR AND SAID NECK BEING FORMED OFRESILIENT MATERIAL SO THAT UPON INSERTION OF SAID INNER SHELL INTO SAIDOUTER SHELL, SAID SHELLS ARE RESILIENTLY AND SEPARABLY SECURED TO ONEANOTHER.